Largest wooden church

[gardenmoma]

My cousin just sent me this link for one of the largest wooden churches in Europe in what was formerly Silesia. It is the Church of Peace in Świdnica - Lutheran and built in the mid-17th century. Link to video: zieba.wroclaw.pl/kpg/kps.html
Link to page explaining importance of church: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1054

Enjoy!

[kaima]

Interesting church, a lot bigger and much more ornate than the two Lutheran churches I have seen in Slovakia. I have seen so many churches over the decades that they are a bit boring for being so overdone, but in the last few years I did get into these protestant churches and found the relative simplicity (the church you note being an exception!) and thus far more interesting.

The one church in Slovakia is relatively primitively built and almost rustic, as you may note in the broad ceiling boards in the church you refer to. The other church in SK is finely built and has a very good feel to it, a feeling of quality and purpose built for adoration of god and not for puffing up human ego in the name of worshiping god.

As with the wooden "articulated" churches in Hungary, it appears the need to placate protestants led to some degree of compromise on the part of the too-Catholic Hapsburgs. "The Churches of Peace are outstanding testimony to an exceptional act of tolerance on the part of the Catholic Habsburg Emperor towards Protestant communities in Silesia in the period following the Thirty Years’ War in Europe. " the site you led us to also states the restrictions laid down by the Hapsburgs:
The numbers of the churches per county or location was strictly limited, accounting for the necessary size; and "The churches had to be built exclusively of perishable materials (wood and clay), located outside city walls, and built in a limited period of time". What that article does not - so far - say is that they had to be built out of town, with the door facing away from the road, and in keeping with the "perishable materials", no iron nails, only wood! Presuming the same restrictions as in Hungary were applied.

[karl]

Kasia

Thank you for sharing that what your cousin has sent. For these churches are indeed quite very beautiful. It would so appear, to be an attention grabber whilst inside, this for sure....

Karl

[Jaga]

This church looks really unusual. Thanks for posting info. Is it still intact? Lots of wooden churches in Poland were unfortunately destroyed completely due to the fire.

[gardenmoma]

Jaga and all,

There were originally three of these churches...from wikipedia "one... erected in Głogów (then German Glogau) burned down in 1758, but the one in Świdnica, under the invocation of the Holy Trinity, survived like the one in Jawor. Both were restored by a Polish–German cooperation, and recognized by UNESCO in 2001."

So, yes, the two of the three cited above, which includes the one in the video still do survive. I have read, but can not remember the source, that these three were built outside the existing towns. This part of Poland was one that changed from Poland to Germany to Poland many times.

Here is the link to the Polish photographer who made the photos...www.zieba.wroclaw.pl/english.htmhe also has made many others including my personal favorite "The interior of the wooden church in Sierakowice" which if I am translating correctly and interpreting the painting above the altar is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The link is zieba.wroclaw.pl/sierakowice/sierakowice.html

[pieter]

I just found this thread indirect via internet. It is amazing that I often come back via internet research to our Forum. That is the quality, pluriformity and nearly encyclopedia function of our Forum, due to fact that this Forum shows us different aspects of Polish culture, Polish history, Polish tradition, Polish customs and thus in this sense Polish church architecture, Polish religious art and thus a part of Polish architecture heritage and art history. This wooden churches are very sophisticated in the amazing refined and detailed wood carving, painting and sculptural elements. The Poles are masters of woodcutting and arts and crafts.

I found some other wooden churches:




Dębno, oldest Gothic church in Poland, St. Michael Archangel wooden Church, 15th century


The interior of the church


Małopolska Lemko Greek Catholic Church


Vang stave church in Karpacz


Vang stave church in Karpacz

The Norwegian stave church, moved here from Vang, Norway in the mid-19th century.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpacz

[pieter]

Wooden church of St Vincent de Paul on Bródno Cemetery, Warsaw

[pieter]

Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland



This southeastern region of Poland features medium-size mountains and picturesque landscapes. Here we find wooden Orthodox and Roman-Catholic churches perfectly fitted into their natural environment. Some of these churches are several hundred years old and six were entered on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List. None were designed by famous architects. Simple carpenters constructed them all. The oldest one is the 15th- century church in Haczów, made of fir-wood and covered with shingles. Fragments of wall paintings were uncovered in the church interiors. Of great value is the shingle-roofed church in Blizne. Erected at the turn of the 15th century, it also contains fragments of Gothic and Renaissance wall paintings.



The church at Binarowa boasts a very precious wall painting depicting scenes from the New Testament and a carved wooden figure of the Madonna from the 14th century. Many unique paintings, sculptures and artistic handiworks can be admired in the 15th century church at Dębno. The interior decorations of the church at Lipnica Murowana include precious wall paintings as well as baroque paintings and sculptures. The six trails on the Route of Timber Architecture in the Małopolska region are over 930 mi. long. They feature 232 timber constructions of great value, including 123 Roman-Catholic churches, 39 Orthodox churches, 25 rural and small town complexes, and 27 rural architecture museums that comprise 9 skansens and 14 country manors. The wooden churches in Poland were added to the UNESCO list in 2003.

[pieter]

Lutcza, Church of the Assumption B.V.M.
Built in the 2nd half of the 15th century and expanded half a century later. The most notable in the church interor are the main altar, two side shrines and the Baroque pulpit.


Golcowa, Church of St. Barbara and of Nativity
From the 2nd half of the 15th century. Traces of that time include a stone baptismal font. Valuable furnishings, baroque crucifix, altar and pulpit from 1600s. On the walls, 19th century polychromes.

[pieter]

Haczow, Church of the Assumption and of Archangel Michael
Included on the UNESCO list, like the church in Blizne. Built presumable at the turn of the 1460s. The Gothic Pieta, particularly worshipped here, comes from ca. 1400 a polychrome from 1494 and the 2nd half of the 19th century. The temple ranks among the oldes and largest Gothic wooden churches of log construction in Europe.

[Jaga]

Pieter, beautiful pictures.
Unfortunately lots of wooden churches in Poland were burned or destroyed in fire and have to be rebuilt.